Rotation adapter assembly for a snowboard binder

ABSTRACT

A snowboard binder rotation assembly composed of a planar base plate attachable to a snowboard, and a top ring with a middle opening attachable to the base plate. A planar middle plate is fitted between the base plate and the top ring. The base plate has a primary pin hole and the middle plate has a secondary pin hole. The middle plate is rotatable to a primary position where the primary pin hole and the secondary pin hole are aligned. A locking pin assembly with a locking pin is attached to the middle plate. The locking pin can engage the primary pin hole and the secondary pin hole thereby locking the middle plate in place. A pullstrap attached to the locking pin can be pulled to disengage the locking pin from the primary pin hole thereby allowing the middle plate can freely rotate. A standard snowboard binder is attachable to the middle plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the most popular winter sports has become snowboarding. This involves the use of a wide board where a person's feet are usually perpendicular or at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the board. Additionally, bindings are attached to the board by fasteners where one can fit a standard snowboarding boot. Over time, there has been some standardization in the manner of how the binding is fixed to the board.

One of the difficulties inherent in snowboarding springs from its natural use. During use, one's feet are perpendicular or at an angle to the direction of the board. This enables a user to have comfortable control over movement as one is traveling downhill, but once at the end of a run, gravity is no longer causing motion, and the user must propel himself across the snow. At this point, the back boot is often taken out of its binder and similar to a skateboard, a person can push their way across the snow. However, the front boot is still in the binding and is at an angle to the board, resulting in some uncomfortable stress on the ankle and leg and an unnatural feel as one pushes across the snow. This discomfort is further compounded when one is riding up a lift with a board hanging off one leg in the binding, yet still at an angle to the board, and therefore at an odd angle to one's body.

What is needed therefore is a simple assembly that receives a standard binding and relieves the stress on one's leg when not operating in a downhill capacity.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a simple assembly for the rotation of a snowboard binder at the will of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a separated perspective view of the binder rotation assembly;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a base plate;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a middle plate;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a top ring;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the pin assembly;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a platform

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of this invention can be seen in FIG. 1, wherein there is assembly 1. In this assembly is a planar base plate 2, having base plate fastening holes 3, and a primary pin hole 4. The base plate 2 also has board fastening holes 5 for attachment to the snowboard. Also in FIG. 1 is a top ring 6 having top ring fastening holes 7, that align themselves with base plate fastening holes 3 for attaching the top ring 6 to the base plate 2. In FIG. 1 is also middle plate 8 having secondary pin hole 9. A Middle plate 8 is to fit securely between top ring 6 and base plate 2. As seen in FIG. 1, the top ring can have a vertical side 10 that surrounds the outer circumference of the ring. An indentation 11 around the circumference of the middle plate 8 receives the top ring's horizontal side 12, thereby fitting the middle plate 8 securely in place. While snug, the middle plate is loose enough between the top ring 6 and the base plate 2 that it is freely rotatable. The material of the plates should be composed of a material of relatively low friction to allow ease of rotation.

The top ring 6 has a middle opening thereby allowing a standard snowboard binder to be attached to the middle plate 8 by screws or other fasteners with the four binder fastening holes 13. Most snowboard binders are attached to the snowboard by means of the four fastening holes. The snowboard binder itself usually has a mechanism to adjust its angle with respect to the snowboard, but this angle cannot be adjusted easily once set. Once attached to the middle plate, one can see that the boot will be on top of the entire assembly 1. With a user's boot in the binding attached to middle plate 8, the user can easily rotate the middle plate by turning his foot within the binder. When the middle plate is rotated such that the secondary pin hole 9 and the primary pin hole 4 are aligned, then the middle plate is in its primary position. When the secondary pin hole 9 and the primary pin hole 4 are not aligned, the middle plate is in its non-primary position.

Attached to the middle plate 8 is a locking pin assembly 14. As seen in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the locking pin assembly 14 is composed of a platform 15 with two platform fastening holes 16 and a platform locking pin hole 17. The platform fastening holes 16 will receive a screw or some fastener to attach it to the middle plate 8. The platform locking pin hole 17 will receive the locking pin 18. In the preferred embodiment, the locking holes and locking pin assembly 14 will be positioned near the edge of the middle plate. Springs 19 are used to bias the pin in a downward direction so that force is required to move the locking pin upwards out of the primary pin hole 4 if engaged therein. A pullstrap 20 is attached to the top end of the pin and extends upward to where a user can easily grasp it. The pullstrap enables a user to pull the pin upwards out of the primary pin hole 4. The primary pin hole 4 can be tapered slightly so as to fit the locking pin 18 more securely.

The locking pin 18, when engaged will enter both secondary pin hole 9 and primary pin hole 4 as can be seen in FIG. 5. The springs 19 force the locking pin downwards into the pin holes. This in turn locks the middle plate 8 in its primary position, because only in its primary position are the primary pin hole 4 and secondary pin hole 9 aligned such that the locking pin 18 can enter both pin holes. When pullstrap 20 is pulled, the locking pin 18 is pulled back disengaging the locking pin 18. When disengaged, locking pin 18 is pulled out of the primary pin hole 4, allowing free rotation of the middle plate. The middle plate can then be rotated from its primary position, and a user can rotate his foot forward to be in the same general direction as the longitudinal direction of the snowboard. This relieves stress on the ankle and leg as one pushes the board across the snow or riding on a lift. 

1. A snowboard binder rotation assembly comprising: a planar base plate attachable to a snowboard wherein said base plate has a primary pin hole; a top ring attachable to said base plate wherein said top ring has a middle opening; a planar middle plate fitted between said top ring and said base plate; wherein a standard snowboard binding can be attached to said middle plate; said middle plate has a secondary pin hole; said middle plate is rotatable to a primary position where the primary pin hole and the secondary pin hole are aligned and a non-primary position where the primary pin hole and the secondary pin hole are not aligned; a locking pin assembly attached to said middle plate; said locking pin assembly has a locking pin, wherein said locking pin can engage said primary and secondary pin holes whereby said middle plate is locked in the primary position; said locking pin can be disengaged from said primary pin hole thereby enabling rotation of said middle plate.
 2. The assembly of claim 1: said standard snowboard binding is attached to said middle plate by fasteners.
 3. the assembly of claim 4: said locking pin assembly includes a spring whereby said locking pin is forced to engage primary pin hole and secondary pin hole.
 4. the assembly of claim 3: wherein said primary pin hole is slightly tapered.
 5. the assembly of claim 1: wherein a top surface of said middle plate and a top surface of said top ring are in the same horizontal plane.
 6. the assembly of claim 1: wherein said top ring has a vertical surface around its circumference.
 7. the assembly of claim 1: wherein said middle plate has an indentation around its outer surface; said top ring has a horizontal surface; wherein said middle plate indentation receives said horizontal surface of said top ring so that middle plate is fitted more securely between said top plate and said base plate.
 8. the assembly of claim 1: wherein said base plate is fixed to snowboard by fasteners; said top ring is fixed to base plate by fasteners.
 9. A snowboard binder rotation assembly comprising: A planar base plate attachable to a snowboard wherein said base plate has a primary pin hole; A top ring attachable to said base plate wherein said top ring has a middle opening; A planar middle plate fitted between said top ring and said base plate; A means for attaching a standard snowboard binding to said middle plate; Wherein said middle plate has a secondary pin hole; Wherein there is a means for the rotation of said middle plate to a primary position where the primary pin hole and the secondary pin hole are aligned and a non-primary position where the primary pin hole and the secondary pin hole are not aligned; Wherein there is a means for engaging a locking pin with said primary and secondary pin holes whereby said middle plate is locked in the primary position; Wherein there is a means for disengaging said locking pin from said primary pin hole thereby enabling rotation of said middle plate. 